Darth Initria
by ArdenAshwood2
Summary: What happens when ObiWan and Anakin are battling and something happens that could change the entire course of the galaxy? Find out in this complete fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Anakin Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Also, I quote a Moulin Rouge song in here, so, nope, don't own that either. I do, however, own Arden and Lilly.

1: Waking Up and Getting Out

The sunlight shown through that small window, fluttered through its cloud-like curtains, and finally kissed the sleeping eyelids of that young girl's face. Her brown ringlets fell on the pillow beneath her head and one drowsy hand lifted to rub her green-brown eyes. With a yawn, Arden slowly sat up in her bed and looked lovingly at the Star Wars poster across from her on her shut bedroom door. The faces of her two favorite Jedi stared back at her with expressions of worry and strong determination. She had seen that movie four times now, enough to earn her the title "obsessed" from her friends who just didn't understand the tragedy of Anakin's choice or the pounding lust for power of the Sith. Only her younger sister Lilly understood, as annoying and childish as she was in every other way.

Arden shook her head sleepily and made her way to the closet. Being a lazy Sunday, she chose a loose pair of khakis and a red t-shirt. She shut the closet-door and turned to enter the bathroom when something was happening somewhere else that would alter her reality possibly forever.

On the fiery planet on which Anakin and Obi-Wan dueled, it seemed to both parties that the evil Jedi was winning. Kenobi was growing weary as his apprentice's attacks simply wouldn't stop. He was younger and was driven by hate, what had Obi-Wan to fight for? The death of his dearest friend and the return to a broken Republic? Pardon him if he was anything less than motivated. Yet he knew what had to be done and tried his hardest to accomplish his task; the question was, _could _he?

"It is over for you, my Master," Skywalker spoke through the thunder of lava. Yes, it certainly did seem that way—no! Obi-Wan would not allow himself to think like that!

The battle raged on until Kenobi had the higher ground. The fight was (a tad unbelievably) won. Unless of course Anakin would be foolish enough to—

"Don't try it, Anakin!" Obi-Wan warned, truly worried for his opponent.

"You underestimate my power!" the Sith apprentice barked, proceeding to do the unthinkable. He leapt up into the air, flipping, and—

Kenobi cried out with pain and surprise as one of his enemy's boots collided with his forehead, sending him down onto the rocky earth. He saw Anakin beside him; apparently he had not meant to kick his Master, for he was laying on the ground, squinting with discomfort as Obi-Wan's world began to darken and spin. His apprentice soon disappeared from sight and before long all he saw was black.

The Jedi Master opened his eyes to further darkness but now could hear the sound of someone bustling about just feet away from him. They were singing a song of some sort and from the pitch of the voice, Obi-Wan registered the singer as a female. Was it Padme? No, that wouldn't make sense. Or was he just delusional? Kenobi sat up and felt something brush against his cheek; it felt like silk. With one hand he felt out in front of him and touched what felt like a wooden door. Using the Force, he willed it to open.

"Come what may... I will love you until my dying day," the young brunette was singing. She went silent then, holding a folded piece of clothing (a nightgown, it seemed) to her chest and sighing, staring once more at her bedroom door. Obi-Wan followed her gaze and nearly gasped with amazement. It was a picture of Anakin, Padme, Yoda, Darth Sideous, and himself! But how?

Arden turned around to hang the nightdress in her closet but instead found herself looking straight into a pair of cerulean eyes. Her entire body froze and she could not breathe for what seemed like an eternity. She dropped the apparel and could not even scream.

For Obi-Wan the effect was similar, except he had previously seen the girl and was sure that this was her abode. He went rigid and found himself wishing to be back at the battle—the battle! His head spun around from side to side; where was Anakin? Better yet, he thought, where was _he_?

Finally, the voice she had been searching for emitted from her throat and she managed to stammer,

"G-General Kenobi?"

He looked at her with confusion and dawning distrust. Instinctively he reached for his light-saber only to find its loop on his belt empty. Obi-Wan stood up, a pounding in his head where Anakin had hit him began to throb. He touched the place where it hurt and quickly recoiled his hand, for he felt blood and the oils on his fingertips stung badly.

"Master Kenobi," Arden said, with an unshakeable certainty that that was who this was. "Would you like me to get a cloth for your head?" Frankly the wound frightened her, for it was a long gash already encrusted with dirt and outlined in bruising skin.

He nodded, knowing it was impolite to ask a favor of a stranger (a lady in particular) but this was not an ordinary situation. Also, with her temporarily gone, he might be able to observe his surroundings. However she only entered and occupied the bathroom for a moment before coming back and approaching the Jedi.

"Thank you," he said softly, accepting the small towel and gently rubbing his head with it. About half-way done with this task, he noticed the girl's eyes never left him. He looked down at her and suddenly felt himself growing quite awkward indeed.

She sighed. "A real Jedi right here in my room! It's... it's fantastic! It can't be true!" Her eyes were moist with happiness, though for what reason Obi-Wan could not begin to speculate. "I've been so rude," she said, feeling more than a bit like Wendy in Peter Pan. "My name is Arden Ashwood," she extended her hand to him.

After a brief uncertain pause, Kenobi shook her hand and asked how she knew his name and the fact that he was a Jedi. Arden responded that it was actually quite difficult to explain. She summarized by saying there were many tales about Jedi much of them included Kenobi himself. There were pictures of all the Jedi and Kenobi, being one of her favorite characters of the myths, had been easy to identify. Arden told him, after he inquired, that the year was 2005 and they were currently on the planet Earth.

"So, you are familiar with the ways of the Jedi?" Kenobi asked.

"Well, I have never even seen a real light-saber but yes," she said with a little smile that contained just a hint of pride. "I believe I am quite well-learned with that subject. So is my sister Lilly—" her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh my gosh!" Obi-Wan took a step back, not knowing what the young female was thinking.

Arden grabbed Obi's free hand and almost skipped with excitement. "You have to meet my sister! She would jump off a bridge to meet you!"

The General's brow furrowed nervously. "Oh please allow her to do no such thing!" Arden laughed with one of the brightest smiles Obi had ever seen. She explained to him that it was just a saying and then asked him if he would mind waiting here until she brought her sister back with her. He replied that no, but would she mind if he sat down? Arden walked over to her desk and pulled out the chair in front of her computer, gesturing to him that he was welcome to have a seat.

Before she opened the door and left, she took one more glance at him, eyes dreamy and smile wide. "General Kenobi, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2

2: Shared Secret, Kept Secrets

Anakin stepped out of the closet and saw he was in a brilliantly sunlit bedroom, with a little girl maybe thirteen or so in the bed in front of him. The room was like none he had ever seen before; there were appliances he did not recognize, shining pictures of people he didn't know, posters of himself and Obi-Wan Kenobi—his hazel eyes widened as he stiffly stepped in front of the poster marked with the large lettering "Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith". He stared at it, paying special attention to the bottom center where he was depicted in a deadlock light-saber battle with his Master that had only occurred a few moments before... or so he thought. Right now he wasn't entirely sure of anything.

A soft gasp sounded from behind him, and as he turned back around, he found that the blonde girl was sitting up in her bed gaping at him. Normally he would have used the Force to suffocate her, but right now he wanted answers and she appeared to be the only one who could give them. He marched up to her and stared her right in the eyes.

Lilly shook her head, reached for the glasses on her night-table and applied them, then did a double-take upon seeing the Jedi for a second time.

"Anakin Skywalker?" She said. Then, seeing the fire in his eyes corrected herself. "Lord Vader?" The Jedi observed her response. He found just a fragment of fear, but much more of admiration and... was that joy? Why would anyone be happy to see him? Padme sure hadn't been. His heart ached upon that memory.

But he decided to focus on the matter at hand. He had a similar conversation with Lilly as his master had had with Arden. Once satisfied, Vader found that his light-saber was missing.

"Do you have any weapons I might borrow?" He asked, more like a command, but Lilly was not at ease enough to mind. The girl told him there were some knives in the kitchen.

"Knives?" Vader cried, frustrated and annoyed. "Do you know who I am, youngling? A Sith apprentice does not use _knives_!" Lilly was shaking under her covers but did not break their eye-contact.

"I understand Master," she nearly whispered. Vader raised an eyebrow. Master, huh? He could get used to that. Perhaps this child could be of some use after all. She could show him about this new planet of hers and possibly aid him in other ways too. For she said she knew how to handle a light-saber, whether or not this was the truth would be put to the test as soon as he managed to get his hands on one or two. Another thing that crossed his mind was that if this is where he had ended up, it probably meant that Kenobi was not far.

"Do you know of the man Obi-Wan Kenobi?" he asked her.

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, of course," she tried to make her response make it seem that she disliked the Jedi; it was not very convincing but Vader appreciated the attempt. She continued to please him as she appeared to read his thoughts and added, "I haven't seen him here, yet. But maybe my sister has."

Vader saw her rise from her bed, wearing pajamas that were a bit too big, and go to her door. He extended his mechanical hand, using the Force to stop her. Lilly turned back obediently. He told her that no one could know of his presence here. Nodding, she assured him that she understood but only two seconds before a wild knocking came at her door. She turned to Vader with scared blue eyes. Thinking fast, Vader bolted back into the closet and reminded her to keep her mouth shut.

Arden ran into her sister's room and pulled Lilly into her own. The younger girl had a feeling she knew what Arden was about to show her—or, _who_ she was going to show her. As the little girl entered the room and her sibling shut the door, she was proven correct. For there, sitting at Arden's desk was Obi-Wan Kenobi holding a damp cloth to his forehead. Lilly shook his hand yet could not help but feel a strong tug of dread in her stomach. She knew the right thing to do would be to inform Kenobi of Vader's presence, but then what? Neither of them had weapons and if they had to resort to mano-y-mano combat, wouldn't Mr. And Mrs. Ashwood hear the commotion? Plus, supposing the dark Jedi won? No, Lilly decided with a shudder, she would stay loyal to Lord Vader.

The Jedi Master felt the negative energy that this new girl was emitting. She was nearly drenching with fear and whether or not it showed with her polite grins and questions, it was definitely there. These questions... something about them did not seem quite right to Kenobi. They were too specific and hurried, as if she knew exactly what information she wanted to gather but didn't exactly want to stick around. For example, in one instance, Lilly asked what Obi-Wan what he would do if someone attacked him now without his light-saber. He replied that he would bend the Force to his advantage and rely on his own strength. Why did she want to know? Oh, no reason, she just wanted to know the best way to handle her own bullies. He wondered if Arden could also sense something strange about the little one.

"Lilly," Obi-Wan asked gently. "What I am about to ask you is very important. Now, you might not want to answer, but I need you to be honest."

_He's going to ask about Lord Vader_, she realized with a numb terror. _He's going to ask if I saw him and I will have to lie. _

When he did exactly that, she replied that no, she hadn't. Lilly laughed a little too loudly, wouldn't she have told him if an evil Sith were in her room? Obi-Wan stared at her hard and determined that she was not telling the truth. He however let her go when she told him and her sister that she needed to go brush her teeth.

Arden, still a little star struck did not say a thing when Obi-Wan asked her his question for the first time. When he repeated himself, her eyes narrowed.

"And why would my sister lie about a thing like that? If she says she hasn't seen Vader, she hasn't seen Vader!" Kenobi fell silent. "I'm sorry," Arden said, looking at her bare feet. "I shouldn't have snapped like that at you. I just don't think she would do that."

"People sometimes do things we would have never thought possible," Kenobi reminded solemnly. This was apparently not what Arden would have liked to hear. Of course she and her sister did not always get along, but to let this stranger insult Lilly like this... what was she saying? Was she not sounding exactly like—

"I hope you are not angry with me, Arden," said Obi-Wan gently, finally putting down the towel and touching the girl's shoulder. "I did not mean to imply anything, but..." he sighed and Arden could feel the pain that lingered inside of him. All anger was washed away in that one exhalation. "I fear for your sister if she is lying, if Vader has indeed found her."

Arden's eyes grew wide with fright. She asked with a sudden, over-powering terror, "You don't think he would—"

"No I don't, at least, not yet. Anakin needs your sister right now, until he has gotten the swing of this new planet and gathered some followers which I hope he has not begun to do yet. We need to keep a close eye on Lilly and see if and where Anakin is hiding."

The girl nodded, asking if they should storm into her sister's room right that very moment. Kenobi thought this through yet finally decided against it. He told her that he needed to regain his strength, for he was still worn out from the last fight he had had with Skywalker. He asked her if he may stay for the night and she replied that she wouldn't dream of having it any other way.

As it turned out, it was a very good thing it was a Sunday. For while her parents dragged Lilly to church, Arden was left at home to converse and plan with Obi. They both felt His presence whenever they walked past Lilly's door, yet neither of them dared to look inside. Whether he was there or not did not matter, it was the "what if" of the situation that frightened Arden and worried Obi-Wan. For the greater part of the day, she and her new Jedi friend got to know each other by trading life experiences and him giving combat advice (which was hard because a great deal of the things he often used involved the Force in some way). She told him about Earth and the year 2005, for example, what technology was available, what the laws were, etc. The fact that vehicles had to stay on the ground astounded Kenobi (but he could not help feel a little relieved, for flying was not his favorite activity). Also, to know light-sabers didn't even exist was a bit of a depressing shock. Yet for Anakin it was so much more...


	3. Chapter 3

3: Provisions and Infatuation

Once on the main street, camouflaged in one of Lilly's father's suits, hats, and scarves, Vader stepped across the street paying no attention to the honking cars that just barely avoided him. Across the street was an arsenal-supply store, for in the window, the dark Jedi could see all sorts of armor and even light-sabers!

He stepped inside the empty shop and used the Force to slam the employee's head onto the counter while he took two light-sabers (a labeled red one for himself and a blue one for Lilly). He also approached one of the many revolving stands of apparel and took a black suit that matched his own as a special treat for his young accomplice. Who said that Sith did not have a generous streak? After all, if he was going to allow Lilly to help him, she would need to think, act, and dress like a fellow Sith. Come to think of it, she would need a different name too. "Lilly" did not exactly inspired fear into the hearts of men. She would be the first female to ever earn the rank of Darth and so the name would have to be perfect.

Vader thought about this the entire walk back to his hideout, which was the tree house Lilly had pointed out to him from her window. He hopped up a few rungs of the ladder at a time and continued to brainstorm names while he waited for Lilly's return from "church" (something very odd in which you would meditate and ponder the Force while a Master spoke to you, was how Lilly had explained it).

Growing restless, he held up his light-saber and tried to activate it. When he found it would not cooperate, he felt inclined to simply toss it through one of the walls, yet something then happened that was quite odd. As it tipped in his hand, a long red shaft extended from the handle. Vader quickly pulled it away from himself but found that it emanated no light and made no noise. Taking a chance, he touched the tip and found it cold and solid. He glared at it, making it crumple and twist until it resembled a crushed tin can.

When a small blue vehicle approached the house, Vader sat back in the far left corner of the tree house and blended in with the shadows. Lilly would be coming up shortly, after changing from her Sunday attire and making sure Arden was no where in sight. He had not seen her since their first meeting and was eager to learn more about her so that twisting her mind could be accomplished with greater ease.

Her small face finally appeared from behind the curtain that covered the entrance to the tree house. She crawled inside and sat at the opposite corner from Vader. They spent nearly an hour simply talking. Vader adopted a teacher-student tone and asked her all about herself, something she seemed to greatly enjoy talking about. Finally, he handed her the outfit he had stolen and she accepted it with enthusiastic gratitude and adulation. Lilly pulled it over her shorts and tank-top when Vader surprised her yet again.

"I have decided a name for you, my new apprentice."

She smiled unbelievingly. "Y-you consider me your apprentice? Master, I can't believe it!"

He waved it off and continued. "From this point forth you shall no longer be Lillian Ashwood." The girl was almost shaking with anticipation. "Starting now, you will be called Darth Initria the First. You see, there has never been another female Sith. It is a great honor, Initria, don't let me down." She assured him he wouldn't and proceeded to tell him what had occurred that morning after her sister had taken her into her room. Vader listened intently and congratulated Initria on her quick-thinking to ask Obi-Wan all of those questions.

"I thought they would be helpful, Master," she said, her eyes oh so slightly beginning to turn a darker shade of blue. "Shall we go after them?"

Vader shook his golden-haired head. He told her that the others had probably suspected something and would undoubtedly have some sort of plan ready. That was what they needed, Vader said, a plan of attack. It was then Lilly suggested something that in Vader's eyes was absolutely perfect...

The Dark Lord smiled with a chilling delight. "How do you think of these things, my dear Initria?" She replied that she had seen a lot of movies, what, er, holograms. Vader declared that her plan was the one they would use, only with a the exception of a few minute details. The plan would be taken into action tomorrow so he could properly train his apprentice in hand-to-hand combat should the need arise, and it would need to be at a time when Obi-Wan did not know where Vader was. Also, Vader would bring one of the false light-sabers with him to further intimidate Kenobi.

"So it is set," he said with a smile that his apprentice thought both terrible and most handsome. "But what shall we do about Arden?"

Initria went cold. She had no idea they were to do anything with her sister! The girl told her Master this and Vader's face turned ghastly.

"Do not concern yourself with her, my servant, for she is the enemy no matter what your relationship had been previously. Obi-Wan will have undoubtedly turned her against you by now and she will show no mercy. I will not tell you to kill her, Initria," Vader said, taking her chin between his robotic pointer finger and thumb. "I will simply ask you where your loyalties lie; with some Jedi scum who doesn't even love you, or your wise Master who cares for you very much?" He stared into his eyes, and with that sparkling smile and the intimacy of his touch, Initria was won over. She did not love her sister.


	4. Chapter 4

4: Awkward Conversation

Mr. Ashwood served his wife and daughters the night's meal. It was spaghetti and mashed potatoes—the girls' favorite—yet neither of them seemed to enjoy it much that night. They kept exchanging mistrusting glances when they thought the other was not looking and when eye-contact was made, they would smile innocently and glance back down at their plates.

Their mother was the first to notice this. She asked if the two had gotten in to a fight today, for come to think of it, they had both kept to themselves and stayed in their rooms all day. Her daughters assured her that nothing had happened but it was Lilly who saved their skins from further interrogation.

"Emma came in to Sunday school today with a cold..."

"Oh of course! I thought you two were acting a bit tired. You should both stay home from school tomorrow and rest," Mrs. Ashwood told them. So it was with that that Arden and Lilly shared one final glance, the older one not sure whether to be appreciative or even more suspicious. She remembered what Obi-Wan had said about waiting until tomorrow afternoon to investigate about Vader. How would they manage this if Lilly was home too? At least Arden got out of school earlier so they might have had a chance... not anymore.

After dinner, Arden approached Lilly before they went into their bedrooms. She made sure their parents were nowhere to be seen before whispering,

"I know you're up to something." Her eyes bore into those of her sister, filling the thirteen-year-old with anger. _What an idiot, if she's so sure why hasn't her Jedi pal done anything about it yet? She will get what's coming to her tomorrow. _

With a sudden thrust of her forearms, Lilly shoved the brunette into the opposite wall, sending a resounding thud throughout the hallway that surely their parents would have heard if they were not out on the deck. Arden gaped at her little sister, whose eyes were now almost brown. Her chest ached, as did her back which had narrowly avoided the large potted plant to her right.

"Lilly," she said with confusion.

"Good night, sister." The blonde shut the door behind her and left Arden all alone in the dimly lit hall. She saw her door open a crack followed by Obi-Wan sneaking out and helping her up. The Jedi asked her if she was alright and what had happened.

"I wish I knew."

Vader nodded when his apprentice told him what she had done. Any remorse she normally would have felt was gone with that simple head movement. He told her that she had done well yet it was merely a warm-up for tomorrow's proceedings. Was she ready for what must be done?

"I can kill her, Master," she told him with confidence. Outside of the window, a chipmunk raced about like mad on a branch. Vader walked up to the window, opened it, reached out and grabbed the small animal with a snake-like accuracy. He held it out for his pupil.

"Show me."

She knew what he was asking, and it would have been easy enough had the creature not at the last moment looked up at her from her open palms and squeaked quietly. Her brow furrowed but she could feel the dark will of Vader, so without a further doubt, she took hold of the rodent's neck and pinched it until she could hear the pops and cracks of vertebrae and arteries. It gave her a satisfaction she had never experienced—a feeling of superiority and control that Lillian Ashwood could have never possessed. If this was what it felt like to end a small animal's life, she imagined how good it would feel to end her sister's.

Darth Initria smiled at her Master hopefully and saw a mixed expression playing upon his face. He informed her she had done well but she had hesitated for too long. That she would need more practice, and that tomorrow they would sneak out of the house and search for larger prey. For he reminded her, there was a very large difference between killing a rodent and a fellow human. She nodded and said that in a few moments, when her parents were in their room, she would go out and get him some food. He thanked her and for those few minutes, they sat in the thick silence.

After she heard the rumbling of the Jedi's stomach, Arden was aware for the first time that Obi-Wan hadn't eaten a thing all day! She went to her door and heard her mother and father come back from outside talking out in the hallway. Finally, when she heard them shutting their bedroom door, she waited just a moment more before asking Kenobi what he would like to eat.

"Oh, I'm not picky," he told her with a smile. So, sticking a head out her door first much like the Jedi had just done, Arden crept out into the hallway and made her way towards the kitchen. Before opening the whicker door, she heard another person rummaging through something. Arden ducked behind the sofa near the entrance to the kitchen and shortly found her sister tiptoeing out with an armful of assorted foods. Her first reaction was annoyance; there would surely be hardly anything left for Obi! Yet then the more shocking realization hit her. This meant that Lilly really was hiding someone in her room too... either that or she just suddenly had a craving for an entire day's worth of food, which Arden doubted. She stepped to the refrigerator and pulled out what her little sister had left.

Kenobi's eyebrows rose when Arden came back in. "Oh dear, I couldn't eat all that!" he said playfully but his tone soon changed when Arden set the food down on her desk and told him what she had seen Lilly doing.

"It is certain then," he sighed. "Lilly has been hiding Vader in her room and he has already begun to train her, against _you_ I fear."

Arden remembered the strange incident in the hallway and felt herself quite compelled to agree. She asked what they could do? Obi-Wan told her that tomorrow would be the day of the dark ones' attacks or he wasn't a Jedi. He also told her that since Lilly had received a head start on physical training, they would need to work through the night. The girl quickly nodded, eager to be taught by a Jedi Master. In the movie, he had beaten Anakin, so maybe that luck would hold true in real life as well.


	5. Chapter 5

((OOC: The part in Lilly's room might be a little disturbing, but I'm using it only to symbolize her descent into evil, ugliness, and impurity. Please, I know how awful it is, but it is only a plot-device. Thank you.))

5: Good Morning

It was hard to believe that only twenty-four hours ago, Arden had thought Obi-Wan and Anakin to be fictional people thought up by George Lucas somewhere in the seventies. Yet now she was facing a life or death scenario in which not only they but her little sister were involved. She had turned off the lights in her bedroom (after four rigorous hours of training) now with Kenobi by her door lying on the carpet. Arden had offered him a blanket yet he had politely declined. Oh, but she could see him shivering with the cold December air that even their family AC/Heater could not completely hide. That was why, sometime around one in the morning (only half an hour or so after they had retired) she took off her thickest sheet and gently tiptoed over to the Jedi, draping it over his resting frame. She stared for a moment, once back in her bed; how incredibly handsome he was... that was the last calm, unworried thought Arden's mind had for a long time.

Her slumber was dreamless and abruptly ended when a large, warm hand shook her shoulder. Arden's eyes opened to a dark room with just the slightest hint of a purple sunrise coming through her curtains. Obi-Wan's eyes peered down into her own, dread and attempt of denial flooding through her like a tidal wave upon the sand. Couldn't it all have been some silly dream from watching Star Wars a few too many times? Apparently not. The fifteen year old girl climbed out of bed and resumed combat-training with her new teacher. Kenobi informed her that she was an incredibly fast learner; she should do well today. And that was all either of them said on the matter until daybreak. They finished at around six and began to discuss strategy.

"Do you think they have a plan?" she asked, panting a little bit.

Obi-Wan wiped off a bead of sweat from his forehead and straightened his unruly hair. "Yes, but knowing Anakin it will be unthought out and will have much room for error. We must not depend on that, however," he added as a quick afterthought. Also, he said, it would be wise to let them come to us. "Only misfortune could come of us lurking around searching for trouble." Arden heartily agreed, partially out of fear—even with games such as hide and go seek, she was always frightened of things popping out at her at unexpected times. Obi-Wan then grew even more serious. He sighed and Arden could tell what was on his mind. Anakin would need to be destroyed, and she would have gladly offered to do it herself, but both of them knew she was nowhere near strong enough for that. Also, she would not put him in the position of killing a youngling—her eyes suddenly went wide.

Arden touched his shoulder when they were both seated on her bed. He looked at her while she asked, "Will I have to... kill my sister, Obi-Wan?" The words sounded far off to her, as if it had been someone in the next room who had uttered them. Or a movie playing downstairs in the living room. He patted her hand and she could feel his sorrow for both of them. It was enough to almost make a person feel guilty for having a heart.

"She will try to kill you, Arden. How you choose to handle that is your decision."

The dam burst; hot tears long kept back leapt from her eyes as the gravity and reality of the situation finally hit. She could no longer hold in those child-like sobs and shuddering breaths. Obi-Wan pulled her close, their chest touching. For no reason at all, it helped her to know he was crying as well. She felt two small drops fall onto her head and her grasp around Kenobi's waist tightened. Her tears were no longer simply for herself but for him and Lilly... and even Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi rested his chin on her hair gently and closed his eyes. Within moments both parties were silent and still like the grave, but nowhere near as jolly.

Initria woke up to see her Master staring down at her, standing to the side of her bed. She uttered a small yelp of surprise. Vader did not look away as the girl, still dressed in her dark attire stood up and walked to about a yard from him. He seemed to be examining her inside and out. His hazel eyes like x-rays probing every inch of the female Sith's body and soul. Initria did not know what she was expected to do, so she simply stood there and looked down at her boots. Vader finally stepped to be inches in front of her. Taking her neck strongly in his right hand, he applied no pressure but the waiting was almost worse. Initria's heart was going wild yet she did not speak. Not even a hand rose to attempt and pry his off, for in a way she could not believe it.

"I will not kill you, Initria," he spoke softly, his cool breath blowing upon her face like a midnight breeze. "I am only going to ask you some questions, is that alright?"

Swallowing hard, she stammered that yes, yes, of course.

"You have fear, that's very good. But do you have anger as well?" He cocked his head slightly, making Initria's knees go weak with girlish desire she had never experienced but had read plenty about in those books Mommy kept in her bedside table. He continued, "Do you have loyalty?" Her mind began to wander to those books. The two main characters always ended up doing something... what was it? Making love? Yes, and kissing. Making love and kissing, that was what she wanted to do.

"Do you have love for me, Initria?"

Her eyes nearly popped with fright. Why did he say that? Did he know?

"I," she paused. "I definitely have love you for, my Master."

Vader leaned in close, the tips of their noses almost touching. With his hand still loose enough on her neck, he kissed her. Lilly went numb as she felt his tongue raping her lips. If it had been anyone but the man with a hand on her throat, she would have pushed him away as a hand reached places she had also read about in those books. Her eyes opened and saw only a flesh-colored blur. She could feel fire emanating from him and their very kiss was painful to her somewhere deep inside of her chest. That was where the war was finally lost; where what was left of Lillian Ashwood's pure soul was burned to the ground by Darth Initria's smoldering darkness. She began to kiss back.

He let go of her, allowing her empty shell of a body to collapse to the carpeting and tremble with a volcano of emotions rupturing inside of her. Anger, hatred, jealousy, frustration... all against her sister. She would not only kill her as Master Vader commanded; she _wanted _to kill her. In that kiss that seemingly lasted forever, so much had been changed. Initria could not think of one conceivable reason that she hadn't eliminated her sister previous to this day!

"When," she said, eyes black and voice deepened, "will I have the pleasure of annihilating Arden Ashwood, my Lord?"

Vader crossed his arms over his chest as his servant knelt down before him, fully devolved into the slave he himself was made to be. He smiled and responded that now, with the sun rising, they should wait until the two adults had left the house. For what use had they for distractions?

"Would she have told them?" the Dark One asked.

"No, my Lord, she would fear their closed mindedness."

"That is good. When shall they depart?"

"At eight o'clock, my Lord."

He nodded. "Eight o'clock it is then."


	6. Chapter 6

((Disclaimer: I do not own The Exorcist, by the way...))

6: Window

She had stopped weeping now and was further discussing arrangements with Kenobi. The Jedi asked her when her parents would leave for work and she responded that they usually left at eight. He glanced at the electric clock behind them and hoped that he was reading the earth-clock incorrectly. For if he were doing it right, that would mean they only had fifteen more minutes to get ready! Surely the Dark Ones would not try anything until there were no interferences. He told Arden this and she went more pale than Obi-Wan thought healthy.

"Are you ready to do this, Arden?" He asked, internally asking himself the same question. The girl nodded and stood up.

"So we just wait for them to try something, is that how it works?" her voice seemed heated.

His brow furrowed; hadn't they already gone over this?

"But I don't want to be a sitting duck, Obi-Wan! I don't want to just sit here waiting for those..." she spat, "those _people_ to try and kill us!"

Kenobi told her that if the others tried an all-out assault like that it would be very unlike Anakin. There would most certainly be a trap involved that they could only avoid by staying here. She could not believe what she was hearing; wasn't this the great Obi-Wan Kenobi? Who defeated the Sith apprentice and who helped win the Clone Wars? Not today, she thought, today he is just some middle-aged man sitting on her bed with a headache.

He could sense her doubt, like a foul stench radiating out of her. Kenobi told her that in order to make it out of this alive, they had to believe in themselves with every fiber of their being. The Force was with them, he said, and the Force always helped those who are true of heart.

Suddenly, they both heard a pounding set of footsteps out in the hallway. Arden said almost to herself that they were coming from Lilly's room. She sat back down. They were quick and soon, her door was being opened and there was Lilly, panting and crying. Arden adopted a worried expression but when she looked to Kenobi, his face was vacant. Lilly crawled to her sister's bed and touched her knee.

She was sobbing heavily, feverishly looking back over her shoulder crying out hoarsely, "Please! Please don't let him come in here!" Arden wanted to touch her, to embrace her and assure her everything was alright—but she remembered then that nothing was right at all.

Lilly looked up into Arden's face and the older one almost gasped. What had happened to Lilly's eyes? Behind those round glasses, the previously baby-blue colored eyes were now black, pupil-less pools with a pink outline. Arden could not bear to continue to stare into those eyes and instead looked at Lilly's forehead, not wanting to break all visual contact in case she tried something.

"What is your business here, young one?" Obi-Wan asked her with all the compassion of a rock.

She glanced at him with a darting, ugly look but erased it quickly. "I know you don't trust me, I know, I know," she lowered her head to her chest, still cupping Arden's knee in her left hand. "But you need to believe me now! Last night he pretended to strangle me and then he kissed me, I thought it was just a game," she swallowed hard. "But this morning he was looking at me with this strange... this fire in his eyes. He told me not to move and he started to...to..." she tried to look back at Arden only to find her sister's eyes would not be met. "He began to touch me and told me if I didn't cooperate he would kill me right there! Finally, I—I just couldn't take it and pushed him away. He told me I'd regret it and began chasing me! I don't know where he is now... Oh, General Kenobi, you have to help me!" Lilly was panting now and looking back out into the hall so fast and so many times both of the people on the bed thought her head was soon to twist off.

Arden's face was a Picasso of pain and wanting to believe. Obi-Wan's was, however, just as empty as before. It was clear to Arden that he did not believe the young blonde. The question now was, did _she? _She took one final glance into her sister's deformed eyes and saw with confusion that they were looking up behind Arden. Obi-Wan and the brunette turned to see what Lilly was looking at and in the split second before the fighting began, they saw Vader clinging to the second-story window-pane. His eyes met Kenobi's and with a gentle enough push of his right hand, he sent the older Jedi crashing into the closet at the other end of the room. Using his boot, he crashed open the window and hopped down, paying no mind to Arden as he stepped onto her bed and made his way over to the Jedi who had gotten up now but was swaying slightly.

Before she could watch a moment more, Lilly's knuckles came careening into her temple. Arden fell back on her bed, her sister on top of her, readying her fist for a breath-ceasing blow to the fifteen-year-old's stomach. In a flash, Lilly was on the floor as Arden had kicked her chest, sending her flying. Knowing she had to immobilize Lilly, Arden went for her legs. She kicked Lilly's shin, making her wince and cry out. The blonde's black and pink eyes turned black and red as she bore her teeth and leapt up at her opponent. The two rolled about, Lilly biting into Arden's shoulder before the latter yanked the former's hair and chopped her chin with the side of her hand.

From the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan could tell that he had trained Arden well and that she was equally matched. Now it was time to worry about his own fight. The men looked at each other, hands by their sides.

"Well my Master," Vader spoke with a smile Kenobi did not like at all. "Shall we take this outside? It would be a shame to ruin such fine architecture as this," he motioned about the room with a sarcastic chuckle. Obi-Wan agreed and watched his ex-apprentice hop back out the window. He used the Force to blow away anything that might have still been clinging to the side of the house before exiting the window himself. Both Jedi had managed the landing with ease and Vader sat on a swing while Kenobi had plopped into a sandbox.

Again came that laugh. "It suits you, Master!"

Brushing himself off, Kenobi said loudly to the younger man, "No more fun and games Anakin. We finish it now, in whatever manner you feel best... but we finish it now," he repeated softer, not knowing what he meant by it. Did he mean death? Surrender?

"Oh you will find out what manner I feel is best," Vader said, lowering his head and beginning to gather energy into his right hand. His opponent was undoubtedly doing the same but Vader could tell who would win this little battle of Force-manipulation. He could feel the dark, static energy in his palm, pulsing through his entire body... a river of hate and anger. Once the heat in his hand grew unbearable, he let it loose.

Initria's nose and lip were bleeding when she licked away the sweet drops of bodily liquid. Her sister watched in disgust but had more serious things to worry about when the blonde opened her mouth in a pink-toothed smile. The previously white, rounded teeth were now yellow and pointed. Arden could not help but think back to that movie The Exorcist. The brunette leapt out of the way and began to run for the door as Initria pounced. Her thudding footsteps were drowned out by the frantic beating of her heart and she could barely hear the girl sprinting after her. She increased her speed until she was sure she would be hearing a cosmic boom if she continued. The back door was slowly approaching—oh so slowly...

She pushed it open and saw the two Jedi standing perfectly immobile. Before she had any more time to speculate as to what they were doing, searing pain coursed through her neck as Darth Initria's gnashing teeth were sent digging into her upper back, right in between the shoulder blades. Arden flipped her sister over her head and stomped onto her stomach, sending blood from Initria's chapped lips to come spurting out as her head jerked upwards. The thirteen-year-old reached up, grabbing her sister's hand and yanking her down beside her. Neither of them had any more time to attack or defend before a loud rumble resonated from the place where the two men were standing.

From Vader's palm came a thick, electrical thread of red light; from his mentor's came an orb of brilliant blue. Initria and Arden were paralyzed with wonder and awe; they had a feeling they had never and would never again see anything like this. The Sith girl's eyes grew lighter as the Force flashed across from her. Obi-Wan's face was full of struggle and determination whereas his apprentice's was smiling and seemingly effortless. Arden doubted that was truly the case but did not curse it, for that meant some energy that could be used in strengthening the Force was being used to deceive Obi-Wan. Time seemed to slow as the two usages of the Force spiraled towards each other until finally that moment came where there was absolute silence and the world was colorless except for that red and blue. Obi-Wan and Anakin were gone but the debris of where the two Forces met came flying at the two sisters. Arden's self-awareness came back as suddenly her sister clung to her waist in fright. She shut her brown eyes and put her arms around Lilly, allowing the Force to come crashing down upon them.

The sunlight shown through that small window, fluttered through its cloud-like curtains, and finally kissed the sleeping eyelids of that young girl's face. Her brown ringlets fell on the pillow beneath her head and one drowsy hand lifted to rub her green-brown eyes. With a yawn, Arden slowly sat up in her bed and looked lovingly at the Star Wars poster across from her on her shut bedroom door. Oh if only Obi-Wan and Anakin could be real...


End file.
